Of Interest: This image was taken about 54 minutes before MESSENGERís closest approach to Mercury during the missionís second flyby of the innermost planet in the Solar System. The striking image shows a view looking over Mercuryís horizon into the darkness of space. The surface in this image is located in the northern portion of the sunlit, crescent-shaped planet seen as the spacecraft approached Mercury. The low Sun angle creates distinct shadows, enhancing the visibility of the roughness of the surface, which is especially prominent for material ejected from, and surrounding, the impact crater cut by the left edge of this image.